Cottages That Sleep 12 in the UK

Reviews

What our customers say about their holidays

• Kerry - Verified booking

  Key factor in choosing was disabled friendly but, although it had a wet room and was mostly on one level, you couldn’t get a wheelchair into most of the rooms and the wet room and several other rooms were down small steps.

  I find this more and more - disabled friendly is not properly checked. I expect better of Sykes. The hot tub is unusable as, in cold weather, the access is treacherous (again up steps) and the tub is just a large wooden tub with a fire under it so no way of regulating and takes a ridiculous amount of time to heat. I note this was stated in a previous review which you said you would amend and you haven’t. It may as well not be on the features as it’s unusable. The cottage was cold on one side, the heaters in the bedrooms did not work effectively and in our room never worked all the time we were there. Insufficient wood for fires was supplied presumably so we could then be charged for buying extra. When the fires were going, it was warm but that heat didn’t reach the left side bedrooms (this is obviously two cottages that have been turned into one). The furniture is poor in the living room, far too big and does not seat the numbers the place is supposed to accommodate. The suite needs replacing, especially the recliner chair. The TV in there is ludicrously huge and cannot be watched from all the chairs. Good facilities in the kitchen but again both fridge areas down steps. Some of the walks are inaccessible in spite of the (misleading) guide in the cottage. The llamas spit and are not friendly although the goats are - not a problem but should be mentioned. I didn’t deal with the owners but was told they were very nice. However, we encountered a quite rude young woman as we’re were leaving the property and she was arriving who seemed totally unwilling to give way or sort the congestion issue. It’s very isolated and we were worried about the access in the bad weather we encountered, lots of pot holes in the track to the farm buildings and cottages. Wouldn’t go back.

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• Thuy - Verified booking

  Positive points - peaceful location, owners responded to my emails promptly and visited quickly.

  Unfortunately - showers were not good, fluctuating temperatures from cold to boiling hot, water pressure poor. Even after a new tap was replaced. Floor in property was sticky and dirty. The property looked like two houses had been knocked into one, however all that was done, was a doorway being created between the two which meant there were two separate parts to the kitchen, no thought given to how the space would work best, layout was very odd and wasn't a nice space to cook in. WiFi only works on one side of the house well. Some of our mobiles could just about get reception in the lounge, others couldn't. Some basic equipment not provided such chopping board, kitchen scissors, drinking glasses (although plenty of pint glasses available), not enough bowls for a 6 bedroom property. Whilst there many tv's in the property (we didn't use ones in the bedrooms), the main one in the lounge is of poor quality. Lots of info provided regarding hot tub but none on essentials like where the switch for cooker is, or booster needs to be switched on for shower. Leaflet on local walks provided gave inaccurate information, we only found this out after attempting to do the walks. Owner then told us not to use the info they provided. Why not just take them out of the folder? In summary, it feels like the minimum effort was put into this holiday let, no care or thought given to customers, did not meet basic requirements, overpriced rental. Not a comfortable stay. I did take the time to email the owner to give feedback on our return, the reply was very disappointing, no apology given, no acknowledgement of poor quality provided, no reassurance that improvements will be made for future customers, just a very short 'thank you for the feedback'.

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• Stephanie - Verified booking

  Really rundown property, lots of issues with cleanliness and broken or damaged furniture including a bed propped up with a plastic container, screws sticking out of the hot tub lid which was also falling apart.

  Very overgrown gardens with insecure gates and very tired and dirty paintwork and bathroom grout. We also discovered a wasps nest on our last night after having an issue with wasps and flies all week. The cleanliness was a bigger issue as due to the pandemic we would have expected more care to be taken and at least some sanitisers or antibacterial spray provided. Two of the toilet seats were loose and the hot water pressure was non existent, the two showers gave a trickle of hot water and the bath we had to keep using the kettle to fill as it was so slow. The property whilst advertised as child friendly was not suitable as it had lots of steps and very slippery surfaces, the highchair provided was very grimy and the stinging nettles in the garden were an issue. Whilst the location of the property was picturesque the information pack left inside the property was outdated and lacking, and half of the advised walks were far too overgrown or in accessible yet not updated in the pack. As a family we made the best of our surroundings and the accommodation but it was a real shame that the property is not better cared for and the basics were not provided particularly during a pandemic and when people have not been able to see their families for such a long time. I hope the owners take this feedback on board as with the money we (and others) have paid I'm sure some of it could be spent on the upkeep of the property. Sykes also need to do their due diligence to ensure that properties are up to a minimum standard and are able to offer the facilities that we customers have paid for. Photos can be provided of the concerns raised in this feedback.

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• Reba - Verified booking

  Unfortunately we did not enjoy the accommodation at all.

  We Would suggest that you maybe check this property again as it does not match up to the photos that are shown on line. Upon arrival we had to wash the garden tables and the hot tub was been checked by the owners as it was leaking due to the heat (that is what we were told). We were asked if we wanted to use it that night but we declined and we would not have used it anyway as it was not really suitable for us due to the access. Water pressure very low in all showers but no problem with hot water itself. The bathroom's had a window looking into another bathroom, yes it was opaque glass but you could still see through, no privacy maybe blinds would help this situation. Toilet seats need attention. The wet room again the shower pressure was very very low and the tiles needed attention The kitchen was spaced out over three rooms a bit of a jumble. There was a wooden table with a split down the middle and was not very hygienic as food had fallen inbetween and you could not clean it out. Dining room only one light bulb instead of three also the same in the bathroom's. Upholstered chairs in the dining room very badly stained, plastic table cloth with rip in it,fireplace dirty , rough wood on the wall which covered the nice wallpaper that is in the picture on line. We could go on but all in all a very disappointing accommodation . We would also advise that this be noted as not suitable for anyone with mobility problems due to steps to get into the accommodation and also to get access to the fridge which is in another room from the kitchen and also steps to get out to the front and back.

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• Gemma - Verified booking

  The advert says that there is a shop and pub within one mile.

  this is not possible to get to. the nearest village is a 6 mile drive and that's wear the pub and shop are. you cannot walk it with children. the cottage was not very clean on arrival. With sweet rappers and dirty tissues still in draws and socks and old food on the sofa and a grubby fridge and a general grubby kitchen and utensils.The bridges that your advert says you can walk over to get into gainford are all there . infact there are 3 bridges all within 2 miles of eachother. we walked to all 3. non of them are useable. all been blocked off with 8 foot iron fencing and look like they have been for many years so you cannot get to any village by foot.The owners didn't seem to know this but the villagers and farming locals did. the hot tub was nice but didn't have any chlorine tablets in the pot so after 3 days the water was slimey and pond like so therefore unusable after that.The actual place was beautiful. the scenery was stunning. the children liked the sheep ,llamas and cows.lovely to see them when you open the front door. the water pressure is a little low but not a major problem. the kitchen could benefit with a couple more pots and pans but that's all really. We had a lovely holiday and within an hour's drive there is quite a bit to do. I would highly recommended beamish museum . That is a full day out with lots for all ages to enjoy. If you could walk to the shop/pub as advertised and the cottage was cleaner then the holiday would of been amazing.

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